Eyeglass-mounting.



J. R. VAN TASSEL. EYEGLASS MOUNTING. APPLICATION r1150 AUG. 18. 1915.

Patented July 25, 1916.

unrrnn s'ra rns PATENT FFIQE.

"JOHN RuTsON VAN TASSEL, 0E GENEVA, NEW YO K, ASSIGN'OR 0E ONE-HALF To STANDARD OPTICAL COMPANY, OF GENEVA, NEW YORK, A oORroRATION, AND ONE-HALF To GUSTAV A. BADER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

EYEGLASS-MOUNTING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1916.

Application filed August 18, 1915. Serial No. 46,112.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN RU'rsoN VAN TASSEL, a citizen of theUnited States, and resident of Geneva, in the county of Ontario and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Eyeglass-lVlountings, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to eyeglass-mountings of the rimless type.

One object of the invention is to provide an eyeglass-mounting of the kind in question with improved means for securing the mounting to the'lenses. In rimless mountings as ordinarily constructed the lens is clasped tightly, at the end, between two ears of a U-shaped clip, these ears being perforated and connected by a screw which passes through a hole in the lens. To prevent the lens from rocking about the screw as a pivot the clip is usually provided with two arms, which extend upwardly and downwardly from its middle portion, in engage ment with the edge of the lens.

In practice the arrangement just described has not been found wholly satisfactory, for the reason that, owing to the variation in the shape of the lenses which are used, and in the distance of the screw-hole in the lens from the edge of the lens, the arms above referred to do not always engage the edge of the lens closely. They may be caused to do so at their ends by bending them outwardly, but in that case more or less space may be left between the edge of the lens and the middle part of the clip, which results in an unsightly appearance. The arms I in this case, become bent inwardly may also,

thus permittlng the lens to again by use, loosen.

In accordance with the present invention the lens-clip is provided with ears embracing the sides of the lens, but, for the purpose of steadying the lens in the clip, arms are provided which extend upwardly and down wardly from one or both ears of the clip, and lie flat against the margins of the lens. These arms, on opposite sides of the lens, are independent of each other, and at their ends they have lugs bent inwardly so as to engage the edge of the lens.

Another object of the invention is to pro duce an eyeglass-mounting which may be conveniently made, from a single piece or blank of sheet-metal. The above-described construction of the lens-clip lends itself readily to such a one-piece construction, as 1t is possible to form the spring-bow by an upward extension of the metal from the middle part of each lens-clip, while the noseguards may be formed by downward extensions of the metal from the same part.

Other objects of the invention, and the features of construction by which they are attained, will be set forth in connection with the following description of the illustrated embodiments of the invention.

In the accompanying drawingsz-Figure l is a perspective view, from the rear, of an eyeglass-mounting embodying the present invention, with lenses fixed therein; Fig. 2 is a median transverse section, on a larger scale than Fig. 1,.showing one of the lensclips in inside end-elevation; Fig. 3 is a plan-view of the blank from which the onepiece mounting may be made in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 4 is a partial rear elevation of a. mounting showing the invention in a modified form; and Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 1, look ing from right to left in the latter figure.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 each lens 10 is held between ears 11 forming part of one of the lens-clips, and these ears may be connected by a screw 12 in the usual manner. The clip, as a whole, is U-shaped in plan,- being formed of sheetmetal and the ears being connected integrally by amiddle portion 13, which is preferably remote from the edge of the lens so that by bending it the ears may be brought nearer together or farther apart, in accordance with the thickness of the lens which is to be held.

The characteristic feature of the invention resides in arms 14 which extend upwardly and downwardly from the edges of the ears 11, these arms being formed of the same piece of sheet-metal and being so located that they lie flat against the margins of the lenses. At their ends the arms are provided with lugs 15, bent inwardly or toward each other so as to engage the edge of the lens and thus steady it against any tendency to rock about the screw 12. The arms 14:, owing to their form and position, have several advantages. In the first place, they are comparatively rigid, owing to the fact that in them the width of the sheetanetal lies in the direction in which they are subjected to bending strains. In the second place, the arms always lie close against the lens, even though they bemore or less bent to adapt them to the outline of the lens, and

thus no unsightly space is left, between the clip and the edge of the lens, in which dirt may accumulate. In the third place, the fact that the arms 14 are independent makes it possible for them to be used with lenses of case to bend the lugs 15'so that they will engage the edge of the lens closely.

A further advantage of the peculiar form of clip above described resides in the fact thatthe lens-steadying arms do not spring 7 from the middle part of the clip, and consequently extensions from this middle part may be formed for other purposes, thereby facilitating the construction of a one-piece mounting. Such a construction is shown in Figs. 1, Q'and 3, wherein the spring-bow 16 extends integrally from the upper edges of the middle parts 13 of the lens-clips, while the nose-guards 17 are carried by curved supports 18 which extend integrally from the lower edges of the middle parts 13.

Still another advantage of the form and position of the arms '14: resides in the fact that they permit the lens-clips to be so,

' shaped that the middle parts 13 are at a substantial distance from the edges of the lenses, so that the ears may be bent toward andv from each other throughout a considerable space toadjust them to lenses of different thicknesses.

l/Vhile my improved construction of the lens clip is well adapted, as above described, for use in a one-piece mounting with a springbow, it is also well adapted for use with a built-up mounting having a rigid bridge. As shown in Figs. & and 5, the lens-clip may be formed with a middle portion 19 which lies close against the edge of the lens, and this middle portion may be soldered or otherwise fixed to the end of a rigid bridge 20. Upon this bridge a noseclamp lever 21 is pivoted in a well known manner.

I claim 1. In an eyeglass-mounting, a pair of ears between which the lens is clipped, and independent arms extending upwardly and downwardly from the ears and. lying flat against the margins of the lens, the arms having lugs, at their ends, which are bent inwardly to engage the edge of the lens.

2. In an eyeglass-mounting, a sheetmetal member shaped and bent to form, integrally, an car which lies against the side of the lens, and independent arms extending upwardly and downwardly from the ear and lying flat against the margin of the lens, the arms having lugs, at their ends, which engage the edgeof the lens. 7

3. In an eyeglass-mounting, a. sheet-metal member shaped and bent'to form, integrally, a .U-shaped clip which embraces the lens, and independent arms which extend upwardly and, downwardly, from the .ears of the clip and lie flat against the margins of the lens, the arms having lugs, at their ends, which engagethe edge of the lens.

4 In an eyeglass-mounting, a sheet-metal member shaped and bent to form, integrally, a U-shaped clip which embraces the lens, independent arms extending upwardly and downwardly from each ear of the clip, a nose-guard extending from the bottom of the middle part of the clip, and a springbow extending from the top of the middle part of the clip. JOHN RUTSON VAN TASSEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained'for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

